Healthy Fat In Avocados

By: Ron Lagerquist

”Avocados contain high quality essential fatty acids and proteins that are easily digested and are an excellent source of iron and copper which build red blood cells.”

The avocado, or alligator pear, is a common evergreen found in Mexico and Central and South America. There are over 400 varieties. The Mexican variety is grown in the San Joaquin Valley of California, the Guatemalan in Southern California and the West Indian in Florida. Of all fruit, avocados are the highest in producing oil, consisting of almost 30% oil. Filled with enzymes, they are the perfect source of fat that is easy to digest. Because of its ability to easily combine with starches, it makes a great dip for raw vegetables. Blended with fruit, it produces a highly-nutritious baby food.

Avocados are a perfect food that replaces imperfect protein foods such as meat, eggs, cheese and poultry. Avocados contain essential fatty acids and proteins that are easily digested and are an excellent source of iron and copper which build red blood cells. Avocados contain sodium and potassium which support a healthy alkaline blood balance. Because of their low sugar content and absence of starch, avocados are excellent for diabetics or sugar-sensitive disorders. This fruit contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, iron, phosphorous and magnesium. Avocado is high in vitamin E which slows down ageing.

Picking The Perfect Avocado

Purchasing perfect avocados can take some practice; it is a delicate fruit. Avocados can go from being perfectly ripe to over-ripe in a matter of a day. This will result in the oil becoming rancid and mushy, discoloring to an unsightly brown. So we suggest that you buy them unripe and allow them to ripen on the counter. Unripe avocados will be dark green and hard. As they begin to ripen, they turn a dark greenish brown and become slightly soft to thumb pressure. The inner flesh of a ripened avocado will be a gorgeous lime green without any brown spots. The easiest way to remove the flesh is to cut the fruit in half, lengthwise, and twist open. The pit will remain in one side. Remove by imbedding knife into the pit and twisting.

Avocados can replace butter by using it as a spread on bread. The reason we like the taste of butter is that scientists have discovered that fat is a flavor enhancer. Avocados work in the same we but the fat in them is less saturated. There is a simple fun test you can perform for your children to demonstrate the difference between artery-clogging fat and healthy fat. Fry up a mess of chicken legs, let the oil in the bottom of the pan cool to room temperature, then rub the white saturated fat between your fingers. Wash hands, then rub the flesh of a ripened avocado between your fingers and compare the difference. Which would you rather have floating around in your bloodstream?

Bananas and avocados fulfill the desire for heavier food in a perfectly digestible form. So eat up, especially during intense athletic performance. They are a slow burning fuel compared with fruit and vegetable juices which digest quickly. This is why small slices of avocado, spaced through the day, are recommended for those with blood sugar imbalances. Avocados are effective in balancing blood sugar levels. They are also beneficial in fighting candida where the harmful bacteria flourish in high blood sugar.

Avocado Dressings and Dips

There are many ways to eat the mild-mannered avocado. The easiest method is to cut it in half and sprinkle with herbal seasoning, Sucanat or maple syrup. Avocados have great personality. They get along with just about anything. Half an avocado has a convenient little impression left by the pit. Whatever you decide to put in that tiny bowl will determine the taste of the unique and diverse multifaceted character of this fruit.

Avocado dressings are remarkably flavorful. There is simply nothing better than a platter full of freshly cut carrot sticks, green and red peppers, cucumber slices, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and mushrooms. And in the center, the smooth, silky green, perfectly seasoned avocado dip. A great replacement for potato chips. When you've got the munches, nothing else will do.

If you are a mother trying to change the eating habits of your family, serving an apples and soy burgers for supper simply will not do. It is important to be as creative as you can. Give them variety, lots of color, tasty sauces and dips so that they don't feel deprived.